Tina Fox and her family had a day to remember at the University of Calgary convocation ceremony last week, as she accepted the diploma for her late son Trent, who was awarded with his PhD posthumously.
It was a week filled with honour and tears, and some surprises.
Fox shared some of her thoughts and feelings with The Eagle.
“I got to meet the chancellor and the president of the university," she said. "We were treated very well, very kindly."
Trent was on her mind as she stepped up to the stage with her daughter Terry to accept his diploma for his PhD in education.
“I was thinking, sonny, I wish you were here.”
She concentrated on holding back a flood of tears until she could get off the stage and back to her seat.
“I was trying not to cry – I was very stiff. But we made it through,” she said.
“Then I bawled,” she added.
That presentation took place Wednesday, June 5.
On Friday, the accolades continued as Fox was invited to take part in an Indigenous celebration for a larger group of 94 graduates from different faculties, where she was feted along with a larger group.
She was wrapped in a ceremonial blanket as Indigenous singers and dancers helped mark the occasion.
“It was a beautiful blanket with White Buffalo designs. My son’s name was Dancing White Buffalo.They sang us an Honour Song and my daughter and I danced around the circle,” Fox said.
Trent Fox’s legacy
Trent Fox was a tireless advocate for his Stoney Nakoda language, as well as a prominent columnist in The Eagle.
He was also one of the visionaries for the founding of the Wazin Îchinabi Ti (The House of Oneness) in Cochrane, and proposed the name for this society.
Central to these values is reliance on the Creator and respect for all the creation, including respect for each other. This naturally leads to the core value of “oneness.” That “oneness” is expressed in the Stoney Nakoda language as wazin Îchinabi. Yes, this is exactly the core relational value that moved him to propose the name for the Wazin Îchinabi Ti “House of Oneness,” because it was one of his long-held wishes that oneness would characterize our Cochrane community’s Indigenous and non-indigenous relationship together.
His serious concerns for the well-being of the Stoney Nakoda language and values led him to pursue doctoral studies at the University of Calgary. It was his hope, under the influence of his treasured Elders, that such graduate studies would further his initiatives in linguistic and cultural revival and preservation.
Last June, only days away from completing the requirements for his PhD degree, a heart attack took Fox. But his legacy of love for the beauty and heritage of his language carries on.
-With a files from Warren Harbeck
